My First Volunteer Work

Work has always taken up most of my day since I first started working. Most of the time, I juggled at least two jobs at once. But that changed when I signed up as a volunteer for Pure Heart Philippines during National Youth Day in 2019.

My April 2019 Calendar with the National Youth Day schedule

For one week, I balanced both my paid and volunteer work. I volunteered to help care for the National Youth Day delegates, whom Pure Heart PH hosted at the Yellow House. Together with another PH server, we made sure the delegates were comfortable and felt at home after their long days of pilgrimages and formation activities with the parishes. My fellow server accompanied the youth to and from the parishes, while I took care of things at the host house. We worked while the delegates were away.

The NYD participants that we hosted

The Beauty of Working With the Youth

Working two jobs in one day might have been normal for me, but this experience was far more meaningful than I expected. I was exhausted at the end of each day, yet I felt incredibly happy and blessed to meet such enthusiastic young people from different parts of the country. We had delegates from Davao and Palo, Leyte, who graciously shared their stories, motivations, and intentions for joining the event.

A quick photo op with the NYD participants before they went to the parish for their activities

This experience helped me reflect on the beauty of encountering the youth and witnessing their faith in action. More importantly, it gave me a new perspective on work and the meaning of life.

I often hear people say they want to build wealth first and then volunteer later in life, once they’re financially independent. Yes, building wealth is a good goal. But all we really have is the present moment. That’s why it’s equally important to find a balance between work and service—because we never know if we’ll reach that point of financial comfort.

Tokens from the participants before they went home after NYD

After National Youth Day, I realized how valuable each hour and minute of our lives truly is. While working, I made sure to hit all my deadlines and avoid backlogs. And when I was with the delegates, I listened to their stories with genuine eagerness, despite my work-related stress.

Finally, service is a habit—and it’s best to develop it as early as possible.

National Youth Day Culminating Activity